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Governance in the MENA Region
- 1. Governance in the Middle East and North Africa Mahmoud M. Elmakkawe The American University in Cairo School of GAPP
- 2. Agenda • Background Info: the MENA, historically and geographically • Main Definitions: the State, Good Governance, State Fragility & State Failure • Arab States: In focus • Aspects of State Failure • Examples of State Failure • Challenges of Reversing State Fragility/Failure • Some Good Practices to Follow • References
- 3. MENA, historically & geographically A projection of the Middle East, Source: Wikepedia
- 4. A projection of North Africa - Source: Wikepedia
- 5. Main Definitions & Concepts The State: • A nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government. • A compulsory political organization with a centralized government that maintains a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a certain geographical territory (Salmon 2008). • It is comprised of an executive, a bureaucracy, courts and other institutions. But, above all, a state levies taxes and operates a military and police force.
- 6. • Good Governance: Efficient management of public resources and state/entity affairs. • State Fragility: Inability to act as a responsible member of the international community or provide basic social services to citizens. • State Failure: A political body that has disintegrated to a point where basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly is named to be failed.
- 7. Arab States: In Focus Arab regimes have established a set formula for managing state-citizen relations: government services in exchange for public consent. This prevalent social contract dictated that rulers would provide citizens with public sector jobs and free or subsidized goods and services (such as health, education, energy, and food) in exchange for loyalty and minimal political rights and civil liberties.
- 8. “No Arab state is considered free in the press and internet freedom ratings” Freedom House
- 9. Source: Arab Barometer Survey (2017)
- 10. Source: Arab Barometer Survey (2017)
- 23. Aspects of State Failure • Lose of control over territory • Inability to provide basic services • High sociopolitical divisions • Chronic crises unresolved: Starvations, armed conflicts • Legitimacy unattained! • Lack of good governance (Makes sense, yeah?!)
- 24. Examples of State Failure • Somalia • Afghanistan • Libya • Yemen • Gaza & Sudan?!
- 25. Challenges of Reversing State Failure • Lack of political will (Libya) • Insufficient international support (Yemen) • Incapability of national reconciliation (Gaza) • Arms spread (Darfour) • Absence of roadmap • Difficulty of balancing gradual yet structural reform
- 26. Some Good Practices to Follow: • Decentralization (Tunisia) • E-governance • Social empowerment: Ending discrimination • Fighting Corruption: Carrot & stick approach with independence supervision (Tunisia, again) • Development plans?!!
- 27. References • Larbi. H (May 2016). Rewriting the Arab Social Contract: Toward Inclusive Development and Politics in the Arab World, Middle East Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School. • Yerkes. S & Muasher. M (May 2018). Decentralization in Tunisia: Empowering Towns, Engaging People, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. • Fakir. I & Yerkes. S. (2017). Governance and the Future of the Arab World, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved from: https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/10/16/governance- and-future-of-arab-world-pub-77501
Editor's Notes
- Largest Cities: Cairo, Tehran, Istanbul Composed of 18 countries with more than 60 languages. Contains the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. The birthplace of all heavenly religions. Not to mention: the Baha'i faith, Mandaeism, Unitarian Druze Area: More than 7 million square km. Saudi Arabia is the largest, while Bahrain is the smallest. Was named the Near East in the 20th Century. Climate: Desert, hot. Agriculture: Nile Delta and Tigris and Euphrates (Despite lack of water resources). Terminology: A British officer 1800s - U.S Naval strategist 1900s - Was used to describe the area between the near and the far (Persia and turkey). After the World War II, the British established their central command of the Middle East in Cairo. Term may extend to include Afganistan and Turkiminsatn.
- The Atlantci to the Suez Canal - Sometimes Egypt is excluded Ceita and Mellila - Spanish Berbers: 10,000 years ago B.C - Bano Hilal - 11th century Sahara, the Nile Delta and the Atlas Mountains Sahrwai Republic Polisario Front
- Equity Accountability Responsiveness Participation Rule of law Transparency
- Kuwait, Lebanon, and Tunisia - partially free for journalists Clientalism, discrimination, favouritism, - more corruption Lack of any sort of accountability 80$ the KSA Gulf countries are good at manipulation
- Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Morocco percieved as “partly free,” demonstrating these governments’ ability to control their liberalization processes.
- citizens join nongovernmental organizations and groups at a higher rate than they join political parties Egyptians and Jordanians- trust in judicial entities
- Government effectiveness bears little relationship to resource levels. Despite their abundance of resources, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have failed to perform at the same level as the UAE and Qatar. - Perceptions of Bahrain’s government effectiveness have largely remained the same, potentially reflecting other factors like the severe crackdown on civil liberties and the government’s harsh policies of discrimination.
- Instability and crimes
- Building consent - negotiation and communication
- Results: Less links, less corruption, more transparency - Competition for resources - independence - improving equality Challenges: Training - Legislative infrastructure - managing expectations - Political will - Financial allocations - enabling civil society - Cultural and institutional conditions KSA and Kuwait are like Morroco - UAE is leading Development plans 2030? Lack of accountability again